Page 168 - CW E-Magazine (3-10-2023)

News from Abroad

TECHNOLOGY VALIDATION EFFORT

Toray and Honda looking at chemical recycling of

reinforced nylon 6 parts in automobiles

Japan’s Toray Industries has signed
an agreement with Japanese automobile
major, Honda Motor Co. Ltd., to jointly
develop a chemical recycling technology
for glass-fibre reinforced nylon 6 parts
recovered from end-of-life vehicles. The
two have begun verifying this techno-
logy, which entails depolymerising with
subcritical water (water at a high-temper-
ature, high-pressure state, just below the
critical point -of 374°C, 22 megapascals)
and regenerating the materials as capro-
lactam, a raw monomer.

The two companies focused on such
subcritical water characteristics as its
high permeability, dissolving power,
and hydrolysis effect in resins in deve-
loping a technology that successfully
depolymerises nylon 6 with that water.
Subcritical water is water at high tem- lar economy system, including to validate ing technologies by employing intake
peratures and pressures. It is free of recycling systems for plastics and other manifolds as raw materials for engine
catalysts, additives do not affect it, and resources. Toray and Honda look to intake system parts. They seek to apply
it can depolymerize nylon 6 in several employ that project to set up a pilot facility these technologies for recycling chemi-
dozen minutes to create high yields of with a processing capacity of 500 metric cals in automotive resin parts by around
raw monomer. Separating, refining, and tons annually of raw resin, conducting 2027. Down the track, they look to broaden
repolymerizing that monomer makes it validation testing with it. the scope of their chemical recycling
possible to regenerate nylon 6 that per- technology to encompass apparel, films,
forms like a virgin material. The first step with this work is to re- and other non-automotive applications.
cycle used automotive plastic parts into They also envisage inviting other compa-
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment the same automotive materials. The two nies to take part in their effort and a set up
adopted this technology for a fiscal 2023 companies will develop depolymerisa- a chemical recycling scheme for nylon 6
project to establish a decarbonised circu- tion and monomer separation and refin- in Japan.

ENSURING CIRCULARITY

TotalEnergies to construct new plastics recycling

unit at France site

French oil & gas giant, Total ment follows those announced in June tion to develop low-carbon energy and
Energies, has announced the building 2023 – the doubling of sustainable avia- the circular economy.
of a new mechanical recycling unit tion fuel (SAF) production and con-
for plastic waste at its Grandpuits site struction of a biomethane production The new unit should enter service in
southeast of Paris. This new invest- unit – in line with the company’s ambi- 2026 and produce 30,000 tons a year of

168 Chemical Weekly October 3, 2023

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